In recent years, in business, situations in which creation of ideas is required, such as planning a new enterprise, improving business operations, and solving problems, have been increasing. For this reason, various thinking tools for assisting the creation of ideas have been developed (e.g., see Non-Patent Documents 1 to 4). Also, such a thinking tool can operate on an information apparatus such as a smartphone, a tablet-type terminal, or a personal computer (hereinafter denoted as a “PC”), and therefore a user can use the thinking tool anywhere at any time.
A specific example of a thinking tool will be described here. For example, Non-Patent Documents 1 to 4 disclose thinking tools that each assist the creation of ideas by a user by displaying a canvas and objects called “sticky notes” (or cards) on a screen. With the thinking tools disclosed in Non-Patent Documents 1 to 4, a user can write an idea on a sticky note by hand-written input or the like, and sticky notes on which ideas have been written can be laid out freely on the canvas. Accordingly, the user can intuitively keep track of the ideas that he or she created, and can easily select an idea that is optimal for achieving a goal and refine the created ideas.
Also, various functions can be added to these thinking tools in order to improve user-friendliness. For example, a function according to which a frame line surrounding multiple sticky notes can be rendered according to user input is added to the thinking tool disclosed in Non-Patent Document 2. With this function, the user can visually group together multiple sticky notes on which similar content has been written, and therefore ideas can be efficiently organized, refined, and the like.
A function according to which when a user brings sticky notes into contact with each other, the sticky notes that are in contact are grouped together in that state, and a function according to which the sticky notes that were grouped together are arranged separately and thereafter can be returned to the original state of being in contact with each other by one action, are added to the thinking tool disclosed in Non-Patent Document 3. With these functions, the user can easily check the set groups at any time, and therefore can efficiently perform organization, refining, and the like of ideas in this case as well.
Also, the tool disclosed in Non-Patent Document 3 includes a function of arranging grouped-together sticky notes in a fan shape in a state of being in contact with each other. According to this function, intervals between groups can be ensured, and boundaries between groups can be made clear in a device with a narrow screen, such as a mobile terminal or a tablet-type terminal.
In addition, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which, when multiple sticky notes displayed in an electronic document are at the same position or positions close to each other, the sticky notes are grouped together, and the grouped-together sticky notes are displayed overlapping each other. In the case where the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is applied to a thinking tool, it is thought that an increase in the efficiency of organization, refining, and the like of ideas will be achieved, as described above.